The world of DIY circuits for STEM and wearables has a few options for conductors. Wire with Dupont connectors is a standard, as is adhesive copper tape. There’s also conductive nylon/steel thread or ribbon. Which you choose depends on your application, of course, but as a general rule wire is cheap and ubiquitous while making connections is more challenging; copper tape is cheap and simple to use, but delicate and rips easily, so is best used for flat surfaces that won’t see a lot of stress or temporary applications; and conductive nylon thread or tape is better for weaving into fabrics.
The Brown Dog Gadgets team wanted to respond to a frequent question they are asked, what are the current limits for their Maker Tape (nylon/steel ribbon), so they ran some experiments to find out. In the name of Science you’ll see some flames in the video below, but only under extreme conditions.
You may already have bits of each of these options lying around in your bins, and if you don’t it may be worth it. Each connection option has its benefits.
Wire
Copper Tape
Nylon/Steel Tape
Insulation
Yes, must be removed to connect
None, and adhesive backing is sometimes conductive
None
Solderability
Usually great (not for some wires)
Great
Not at all
Resistance
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